Work

The Impact of a Hand Hygiene Education Program in Long-Term Care Facilities in Korea

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Background: Korea's rapid population aging has increased demand for long-term care facilities (LTCFs).Because LTCFs are vulnerable to infectious disease outbreaks, consistent hand hygiene (HH) practices among caregivers are essential.We evaluated an LTCF-tailored HH education program with measurement of caregiver compliance.Materials and Methods: HH compliance rate (HHCR) was defined as the proportion of performed HH actions among the observed WHO five moments.In 2025, 17 LTCFs participated; 13 received HH education.Nine LTCFs also participated in 2024 (three received education in 2024, all nine in 2025).Facility-level effects of 2025 education were assessed using generalized linear mixed-effects models, and caregiver-level HH monitoring was analysed separately.Results: Education was associated with a greater improvement in HHCR from the first to second half monitoring periods in 2025 (interaction adjusted odds ratio, 8.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.25-34.61;P=0.004).In the two-year enrolled facilities (n=9), 2025 HHCR differed by 2024 education status and monitoring periods (three-way interaction, P=0.008).Within 2024, facilities receiving education in 2024 showed greater HHCR improvement (odds ratio, 58.72; 95% CI, 5.42-635.87;P=0.002).In caregiver-level analyses for second half of 2025, HHCR was higher among educated caregivers than among non-educated (median, 80.0% vs. 12.0%; P=0.002).The weakest HH moment was before touching; education was associated with higher compliance before touching, before a clean procedure, and after body fluid exposure risk.Conclusion: In the multi-district study of 17 LTCFs, an in-person HH education program was associated with improved caregiver compliance.These findings support expanding and sustaining HH education across Korean LTCFs.

Source: Infection and Chemotherapy

DOI: 10.3947/ic.2026.0025